


We Walk in Starlight

by Kalikuks



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: A little bit of Body horror maybe because the werewolf shift sucks, Alternate Universe, Gabe is a Being of Stardust, M/M, Werewolf Jesse McCree, it's so sappy I'm sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-22 12:31:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11380230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalikuks/pseuds/Kalikuks
Summary: What was the harm on wishing on a star?-- -- -- -- -- -- --- --written for McReyes Summer Break 2017, Day 7 prompt Starlight





	We Walk in Starlight

**Author's Note:**

> This Work is Unbeta'd, so please point out anything I missed

Jesse McCree had a pretty sweet gig, for a werewolf. Small town, middle of nowhere, log cabin just on the outskirts of a national park with wolves and bears under protection from poachers and hunters alike. It couldn’t be more perfect; he even had a job fixing up random things the townsfolk needed help with. 

Awful lonely though.

That was just Jesse’s lot in life, though. Can’t really start looking for a long term relationship and open conversations with o _ h hey I’m a huge hulking Wolfman every full moon I hope that isn’t an issue _ . A lot safer for a partner if he didn’t have one anyways. Never had a person come across him during a full moon shift and that wasn't about to change. 

Most of the nights leading up to the shift he’d sit and watch the moon go through her phases, and see the stars twinkling. _At least you have company up there_ ; he’d think to the moon, filing his constantly growing claws down for the umpteenth time. 

It just so happened that on one summer night, as the moon was beginning to wane, Jesse witnessed a shooting star start to fall above the mountain ridge. Jesse’d been feeling particularly lonely that night, as he was normally after his shifts, so he took a chance on that star, and made a wish. 

No harm in wishing for a little bit of company, after all. Someone to call his own. A werewolf could dream, couldn’t he? 

Only the star didn’t shoot across the sky. It flared up in the atmosphere, a meteorite and not a star apparently. Well, that was just Jesse’s luck, wasn’t it? He supposed that his wish wouldn’t come true as he watched the object fall from the sky. At least if Jesse went to find it, he’d get a cool space rock. Or maybe a pet space rock. Jesse could put it up on his shelf next to his little cactus. 

Jesse watched the path the meteorite took, saw it crash into the tree canopy a kilometer or two from his cabin. Deciding he would indeed add the space rock to his little knick-knack shelf, Jesse fetched a flashlight from inside and set off into the woods. The bears and wolves knew better to mess with him, so Jesse never minded a late night hike from time to time. 

Knowing these woods like the back of his hand helped Jesse in finding his way through the dark. The benefits of night vision and a keen sense of smell that bled over from his more monstrous form helped too, admittedly. It wasn’t long before the smell of scorched earth hit his nose as he neared the site of the meteorite. 

Jesse didn’t expect to hear pained screeches when he came upon what he was certain was the crash site. Jesse was met with an abnormally large owl; it’s left wing bent in an odd shape, the poor thing startled and screeched when it noticed Jesse had come upon it in its weakened state. Poor thing looked so lost and scared.

Forgetting about the meteorite, Jesse knelt a little ways away from the owl, gently cooing nonsense to get it to calm down. It wasn’t like any owl Jesse had ever seen, huge compared to the owls he’d frequently seen in the area. It’s dark eyes were set in a round bone-white face and had specks of white in them, as it’s dark flight and back feathers did too. Jesse approached it cautiously. 

“Hey… it’s okay. I ain’t gonna hurt ya. I jus’ wanna take a look at your wing.” Jesse cooed, moving closer. When the owl made no move to bite or scratch at him, Jesse inched closer to tenderly inspect the wing. “There’s a good owl. Lemme see whats happened ta you.”

The wing was indeed broken and would have to be set soon if the owl would hope to fly again. Jesse flinched in sympathy when his touch was a little too rough on the wing, and the owl screeched in discomfort. Jesse soothed his knuckles over the owl’s belly in apology. 

“Sorry Mr. Owl, I don’t know my own strength sometimes.” Jesse said softly as he shrugged off his serape, placing it on the ground before the owl, “I gotta get ya somewhere cozy an’ warm so I can set your wing. You be good an’ don’t bite on me, okay? My fingers ain’t mice for ya ta snack on.” 

Incredibly carefully, Jesse reached to coax the owl onto his serape, surprised when it waddled onto it. It turned those huge eyes up to Jesse, dark against the bone-white of its face. A barn owl, Jesse recognized now that he was looking at it more closely. It was a little unnerving, to say the least, but the poor thing needed Jesse’s help.  

It was lighter for it’s size then Jesse anticipated even with the benefit of werewolf strength, lifting his serape up into a makeshift nest around the owl to carry it in comfort back to his cabin. Jesse tried his best to mind the owl’s wing on the way back, but kept getting distracted by the fact that the darn thing wouldn’t stop staring at him. 

 It was getting a little spooky. 

Jesse may or may not have chanted _it’s just an owl_ over and over in his head on the way back. The comforting light of his cabin helped with his unease, and once inside he set the owl-serape bundle on his table. The owl still stared as he moved around his small front room to gather supplies, swiveling its head to follow Jesse’s form around. The staring was getting to him a little, but Jesse supposed that if you were injured and in strange company, you’d keep an eye on said company too.  

Eventually, Jesse had all he needed to help set the owl’s injured wing, and he worked as carefully as he could to set it right. Eventually, the wing was set as best as Jesse could get it, and he had to stifle a yawn as he watched the owl swivel its head again to stare at the splint. It was probably bedtime for them both. Jesse set about making a quick makeshift nest for his owl friend to recover in, lifting the owl off the table and into it shortly after.

“There ya go, Mr. Owl.” Jesse gave the bird a soft pat down it’s black back feathers, missing the way there seemed to be a trail of small sparkles that followed the path of his hand in his tired state, “You’ll just shack up with me while you’re gettin' better, okay?” 

The owl seemed to hoot in agreement, and Jesse nodded, “Good night, Mr. Owl.” 

And with that, Jesse turned in for the night.

 

— — — — — — — — — — — — — —

 

“Don’t look at me like that, Mr. Owl.”

Said owl in question was staring up at Jesse and back to the dead mouse wiggling in front of it, hooting in what Jesse could only guess in distaste. Jesse had been taking care of the owl for almost a week now, feeding the owl little scraps of meat before he realized it would probably be best not to domesticate the creature too much and actually give it its proper food. 

“I know you’d rather hunt for your food but ya ain’t goin' out on that wing until it’s better.” Jesse scolded, petting the owl’s belly. 

Mr. Owl ruffled its feathers, pecking at Jesse’s hand and stretching up to nip at his hair. Jesse just sighed. 

“Please? You gotta eat it ta keep your strength up.”

The owl seemed to agree with that much at least, finally plucking the mouse from Jesse’s fingers and throwing its head back to swallow it down. After it had nipped at Jesse’s fingers, and Jesse chuckled and stroked its belly again. The owl seemed to preen under the attention.

“There’s a good fella. We’ll get ya up an’ flying again in no time.”  

Jesse lifted the owl and moved it to perch on one of the backs of the kitchen chairs, then set out to cook his own lunch. The owl’s staring had gotten less spooky the more the owl had lived with Jesse in the cabin. Having it there was almost comforting in a sense, and Jesse often talked to the owl about anything and everything. He even confessed to being a werewolf, which honestly felt nice to let at least someone know, even if that someone was just an owl.

Jesse whistled as he cooked, jumping slightly when a heavy weight landed on his shoulder. Jesse looked accusingly best he could at the owl now perched on his shoulder. 

“Thought I told ya  _ not _ to fly.” 

The owl tilted its head, blinking at Jesse innocently. It seemed to flap its wing pointedly, and while it still wobbled, the movement looked the strongest Jesse had ever seen. Jesse whistled in surprise. 

“You’re healin’ up faster then I thought ya would.”  

Which was… admittedly odd. But at least his little friend would be up and about soon and back in its natural habitat. Jesse turned back and placed the owl back on the chair, giving the owl a gentle scratch before turning back to his cooking. Jesse’s meal of spaghetti didn’t take much longer to prepare, and his owl friend stayed on the chair from what he could tell. Though the chair did seem to creak heavily under the owl’s weight. Which was also odd. 

When Jesse turned around, he nearly jumped out of his skin. His owl friend was gone, in its place was a tall, beautiful dark skinned man. A cloak of feathers fell around him, speckles of white blinking in and out on the feathers. One of the speckles even moved across the surface like a shooting star. 

“….Hi.” Jesse said waving awkwardly as he and the stranger stared each other down. He couldn’t spot his owl friend anywhere, which meant… 

“You’re an owl. Or were.”

The stranger dipped his head in a nod, “Correct.” His voice sounded a little ethereal. It sent chills up Jesse’s spine, good or bad chills he could not tell at the moment.

“Uh… yeah. Can’t call ya Mr. Owl… you got a name?”

“Gabriel.” 

“I’m Jesse.” Jesse offered, since he’d had no reason to introduce himself to an owl. “So… you’re an owl… or can be. Is it like my werewolf thing?”

“I’m not entirely sure. I was something different before this. I hung in the sky, shone brightly among my siblings, though they were far away.” There was a sense of sadness that crossed his face then, and Jesse felt the urge to comfort him, “Then I fell.”

Jesse couldn’t help but offer Gabe half of his lunch, sitting down at the table with his guest, “You’re a star.”

“I believe that’s your word for it, yes.” Gabriel seemed to pick at the food set in front of him with interest, seeming to get the hang of a fork right away before tucking into the spaghetti.  

“The meteorite that night… that was you.”

“Yes. It was. I don’t know why I became an owl. All I remember was falling, and hearing your voice and—“

“You  _ heard my voice _ ?”

“Yes. Clearly. You asked for a companion.”

Jesse blushed bright red, sputtering in embarrassment, “Didn’t think no one was actually listenin’.”

“I did not intend to listen, if it makes you feel better,” Gabriel stated, eyeing the rest of the spaghetti that Jesse had yet to finish. Jesse slid it Gabriel’s way, watching tiny speckles of white— little stars— light up Gabriel’s dark eyes. It made Jesse feel a little bad he’d been feeding Gabriel mice, though he didn’t dwell on it long when the former star continued, “And well, I’m here, aren’t I? I suppose your desire came true.”

“Huh. Guess so.”

The rest of lunch went by in surprisingly comfortable silence, and when Jesse turned from Gabriel to clean the dishes, he found himself with an owl on his shoulder again. 

“You’re still not supposed to fly until I know your wing is okay, just so that ya know.” Jesse scolded.

Gabriel only hooted and pecked at Jesse’s hair in response. 

 

— — — — — — — — — — — — — —

 

Having a star-owl-man for a roommate wasn't that bad in the long run. Days went by slowly, and Jesse worked on more odd jobs for the townspeople to earn some cash to get Gabriel set up with some actual clothing that wasn’t just that feathered cloak. Gabriel himself was adjusting to his existence on Earth pretty well, helping Jesse keep the cabin and his little vegetable garden in the back up and running when Jesse wasn’t home often as he worked. 

Since there were questions that Jesse couldn’t answer that Gabriel definitely had, Jesse’d set him up with an old smartphone of his and an internet connection. Jesse’d returned home that day with the kitchen smelling of at least three different meals. It turns out Gabriel enjoyed cooking tutorials. 

“Better than mice?” Jesse asked when they’d sat at the table together to eat what Gabriel had prepared.

Gabriel had only snorted, “Better than mice.”

Gabriel always had questions for Jesse himself too. What it felt like to be helpless to the moon’s call and shift against his will into a werewolf, why he always filed his claws down, and so forth. Jesse answered honestly always, Gabriel was a friend now, after all. Jesse had his fair share of questions for Gabriel too. 

“What was it like, up there?” Jesse asked one night, where the moon hung in the sky, a balance between dark and light where it was cut in half. “Was it lonely?” 

“It was, I guess.” Gabriel answered after brief consideration, “I could always see the light of my siblings around me, and it filled me with warmth. But I could never reach out and touch them. We were all so far away from one another…”

“That does seem awful lonely.” Jesse said softly, “Do you miss it?" 

“Yes and no.” Gabriel answered. Before Jesse could ask why, the former star had reached and cupped Jesse’s face tenderly, “This is warm too.” 

Jesse just blinked, but after a beat, he leaned into the touch, made a soft noise in his throat when Gabriel leaned closer and touched his forehead to Jesse’s.

“Do stars need physical contact like us humans do?” Jesse took Gabriel’s free hand in his, rubbed his thumb along the back of it. 

“I wouldn’t know if we need it. Never had it before.” Gabriel said softly, tightening his hold in Jesse’s hand. 

“I can’t fathom bein’ up there, so far away from the others. Never thought stars knew they were so far away.” 

“I don’t even know if the others knew… it’s also possible I was the only one like me.” Gabriel said softly, wistfully.  

“Now that’s kinda heartbreakin’.” Jesse murmured softly, nuzzling his nose against Gabriel’s instinctually to comfort. “Could that have been why you fell?”

“I wouldn’t know. Though I assume, after all, that’s occurred after I did, that I fell for you. I did hear your voice, after all, and you came and found me. Took care of me.” 

“What makes me so special that a star would fall?” Jesse couldn’t help but whisper in disbelief.

“Does there have to be a reason?” Gabriel’s hand still hadn’t moved from Jesse’s face, his thumb now petting the scruff of Jesse’s beard, “You and I were the same in a sense. Both alone, and now we’re not. I needed you as much as you needed me.”

“Then… Thank you, for bein’ here.”

“You’re welcome.”

 

— — — — — — — — — — — — — —

 

Things changed with Gabriel after that. They washed dishes pressed close together at the sink, shoulder to shoulder. Jesse was often leaning to nuzzle Gabriel gently as they worked side by side. Their fingers would occasionally twine if they walked the woods together. Stolen, tender touches that increased in frequency the longer they spent together. It was more than Jesse could ever ask and hope for, this thing budding between him and Gabriel. Which is why he was afraid to risk it. 

Jesse was worried to confess he wanted more with Gabriel, pretty much wanted the world with his starlit shapeshifting companion, especially with his next impending shift coming closer and closer as the days went by. Gabriel would turn away from him if he saw Jesse’s wolf, would flee if Jesse hurt him in that form. As such, Jesse started to shy from Gabriel’s touch. Take his hand back if Gabriel wanted to hold it. It broke his heart to see the hurt darken those beautiful starry eyes, but it would be for the best in the long run. 

Jesse just never expected for Gabriel to confront him about it.  

“You’re running from me.”  

Jesse had set himself in his little woodworking shed, but he hadn’t locked the door, assuming Gabriel would leave him be to work as he often did. Not today though, Gabriel had come to find him, standing in the doorway. It made Jesse’s heart ache, so see Gabriel haloed in the light of the sun behind him but look so sad. 

“I ain’t running—” Jesse started but was interrupted by Gabriel closing the door and walking towards him with purpose, something burning in those glittering eyes.

“You are. You’re running scared, like a pup.” Gabriel was close now, standing tall and almost terrifyingly beautiful above Jesse, the feathers of his cloak ruffled in his anger.  

“Gabe.” Jesse tried again, to at least get a word in, “It’s just—“

“Bullshit.” Gabriel interrupted again, staring down at Jesse, all those stars in his eyes burning vibrantly. The stars smattered about his cloak were in much the same state. “It’s just bullshit. I don’t care about what you are one day a month. I don’t care about whether or not you think your wolf is dangerous. I trust you. I trust you, Jesse McCree. You have never wanted to hurt me; you would never hurt me.”

“You don’t know that—“

“I do know.” Gabriel’s voice went softer, tender, “I know this because it is what you’re trying to do right now. You’re scared to hurt me, so you’re trying to prevent it however you can.” 

Gabriel bent to cup Jesse’s face, tears making those beautiful eyes sparkle more so than normal. It wrenched Jesse’s heart painfully in his chest to see those tears, so much so he whined in distress, hands flying up to soothe them away when they fell.

“Gabe… Honey, I’m sorry.” Jesse apologized, pulling Gabe closer to touch foreheads with him, knowing full well those tears were his fault, “I ended up hurting you anyway.”

“You did. You can still fix it, if you want. I still want to follow the path we’ve started down. I’d like to have you with me as I walk it.” 

Jesse’s hands trembled as he stroked Gabriel’s face, “I want to. I wanna be with ya. I’m jus’ terrified.” 

“Isn’t that what love is anyway?” Gabriel rubbed his nose with Jesse’s, eyes falling closed as they shared the moment. “I’m scared too; I’m scared that something will take you from me, that I’ll be alone again. But we can’t let these fears dictate our lives.”

Jesse found himself nodding, thumbs still wiping away the remnants of the tears Gabriel had shed in heartbroken anger. What Jesse couldn’t reach with his thumbs he kissed away. 

“I…I think I’m in love with ya, Gabe.” Jesse admitted softly, “I almost fucked it up, an’ I’m sorry.” 

Gabriel’s eyes when he reopened them were brilliant with starlight, the stars captured in them the brightest Jesse had seen, “You’re fixing it. We’re both entitled to our fears, but next time speak to me instead of pushing me away. I want to help you face them.”

Jesse nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Instead, he tenderly pulled Gabriel into a kiss to say everything he didn’t yet have words for. 

When he pulled away, he learned Gabriel’s smile was just a brilliant as his star-filled eyes.

 

— — — — — — — — — — — — — —

 

The full moon was a sliver on the dark horizon, and Jesse fidgeted in his seat on his porch, the werewolf curse running in his veins wanting to rise to her call already.

Jesse cast an uneasy gaze to Gabriel seated next to him; both cuddled up under a cloak of starlit feathers.

“You’re absolutely positive ya wanna be here for this?” 

Gabriel hummed in confirmation, rubbing Jesse’s side to soothe and in part to warm him. Jesse was clad only in a pair of worn boxers, which he admitted was more for Gabriel’s sake then his own. Shifting had not been kind to Jesse’s wardrobe over the years, so on nights of the shift he went without. Easier on his wallet and his closet that way.

 “It’s not a pretty sight.” Jesse tried again, the call getting louder in his head, his heart starting to pound as the moon inched higher in the sky. 

“You told me that.” Gabriel replied, going on to say with finality, “You’re not changing my mind.” 

“Okay.” 

Jesse gave up, fidgeting and squirming until he couldn’t resist the moon any longer. Jesse moved from the warmth of Gabriel and the cloak, eyes melting from warm brown to bright gold in the light of the moon. Jesse’s bones creaked and cracked, fangs elongating in his mouth before his face formed into a short muzzle full of razor sharp teeth. The change was always painful, bones breaking and rearranging to form anew into the werewolf’s form. Jesse forgot all about Gabriel being present as the shift continued, only remembering his star was there when he was left panting on the grass, and a gentle hand carded into the thick fur between his pointed ears.  

Jesse didn’t snarl at the contact, only lifted his massive head to turn gold pupil-less eyes to his lover. The massive Wolfman actually leaned into the touch, whimpering softly at the contrast between the pain he’d just been in and the tender petting. Gabriel only continued to stroke and pet, stopping when the werewolf rose to his full height and towered above him on his hind legs. Gabriel rose to stand next to Jesse after a moment, quickly looking over his now much taller lover for injury left over from the shift. 

They stood in silence staring each other down before a smile spread on Gabriel’s features. He urged Jesse to lower his massive head, pressed a kiss to the cold nose of the werewolf before Gabriel pressed his forehead to the soft fur between Jesse’s eyes. The moment of peace passed briefly before Gabriel grinned, eyes bright with mischief. 

"Race you to the old gnarled oak. Last one there has to take out the garbage for a month.” 

Jesse snarled and bared his fangs in distaste at the thought of taking out the garbage for a whole month, immediately sinking out of Gabriel’s hold and onto all fours and bolting through the foliage. Gabriel only laughed, the sound joyous and bouncing through the trees before he swirled his cloak around him in a flourish of feathers and stardust. Gabriel took flight in his owl form to chase after his werewolf, with only the moon and stars as their witnesses.

**Author's Note:**

> This should have been posted yesterday but it was Canada Day and I got distracted by a very emotional session of D&D whoops
> 
> If you wanna chat at me about anything, my fanfic tumblr is [Angstgremlin](http://angstgremlin.tumblr.com)


End file.
